1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a housing assembly for housing a surveillance television camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The surveillance television camera has been used in CCTV systems (closed-circuit television systems) for surveillance to prevent crimes. Recently, the surveillance television camera has been applied to various purposes, such as security management in public installations where a great many people gather, for example, railroad stations, customer management in service industries, for example, hotel business, and market research for investigating and analyzing the flow of people, in addition to surveillance to prevent crimes.
As shown in FIG. 1, when using a surveillance television camera assembly 31 comprising a surveillance television camera 31a, such as an industrial CCD camera, and a bracket 31b for such purposes including surveillance, management, investigation and analysis, the surveillance television camera 31a is attached to the bracket 31b, and the bracket 31b is fixed to the ceiling or the wall. A surveillance television camera having a cylindrical or a dome-like external shape and suspended from the ceiling or held on the wall by a bracket has been also used for the same purposes.
Since the conventional surveillance television camera is suspended from the ceiling or held on the wall by the bracket, the surveillance television camera can easily be seen by people who will soon notice that they are under surveillance. Although such easily noticeable disposition of the surveillance television camera may be effective for producing a warning and preventing crimes, effective data for security management in places, such as railroad stations, here a great many people gather, customer management in service industries, such as hotel business, and market research for investigating and analyzing the flow of people cannot be acquired because people will be aware of the surveillance television camera and will be conscious of being under surveillance.
A housing assembly for electrical apparatus, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,576 has a housing capable of being opened to house a television camera. This housing in which a surveillance television camera is housed may be less noticeable than the un-enclosed industrial CCD camera and the surveillance television camera having a cylindrical or dome-like external shape. However, this housing assembly does not perfectly harmonize with the ceiling or the wall and hence people will be more or less conscious of being under surveillance.